Helper emergency personnel extinguish a house fire Tuesday. The April 16 blaze erupted at the Gene Carlson residence after a family friend apparently hit an electrical wire while drilling into a wall inside the home.
According to Helper fire chief Mike Zamantakis, the blaze spread up the wall into the attic. Crews arrived to find the fire moving through the ceiling, but prevented the house from becoming engulfed.
Crews used a camera which detects fire through walls and found several hot spots. Fire fighters chopped several small holes in the wall to extinguish the flames.
The roof had started to buckle due to gases trapped in the ceiling. By containing the fire, crews saved the structure and limited the damage to an estimated $5,000 to $10,000.
In addition to the Helper City Fire Department, a crew from Price and a county ambulance assisted at the scene as part of a newly formed rapid intervention team. The idea calls for two crews to respond to a structure fire along with paramedics. The team and extra emergency crews are part of a nationwide insurance measure as well as an added safety precaution.
The response of the rapid intervention team ‘saved the structure from being completely destroyed,’ indicated the Helper fire chief.
The owner of the home was out of town when the incident occurred, but family members handled the problems that arose due to the fire.
Helper crew, intervention team respond to structure fire
